The present invention relates to a device for bottling liquids and in particular those liquids which contain particles, such as fruit juices which contain pieces of fruit for example. Various devices for bottling beverages are known from the prior art. It is customary that a liquid is conveyed from a reservoir via a connecting line into a filling device, and this filling device is in turn placed at a mouth of the container that is to be filled, in order to fill the latter with the liquid. These filling devices usually have valve mechanisms such as cone valves. These valve mechanisms allow a reliable and safe filling of conventional beverages into these containers. Sometimes, however, the bottling of beverages which contain particles is problematic, such as fruit juices which contain a relatively high proportion of large pieces of fruit for example.
In order to fill containers with still or else carbonated products, use is usually made of a filling valve which can be switched opened and closed by means of a cone or piston. The filling quantity is determined via the opening and closing of this cone. However, it is also possible to throttle the product in an inlet of the line, or else to make this throttle switchable in order to bottle for example at two different speeds.
When filling for example using the abovementioned free-jet filling system, a non-uniform distribution of the pieces of fruit at the cone may lead to splashing (also referred to as spillage) of the filling valve. These splashes are disadvantageous since they can lead for example to the formation of mould on the outside of the bottle. This problem occurs both at a start of a filling process and also at the end of the filling process or during a process of closing said valve. In particular, the free-jet valves known in the prior art have led to such undesirable splashes.
The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an apparatus and a method which allow an improved bottling of liquids. In particular, the intention is to provide a possibility for being able to bottle more efficiently even liquids which contain particles, such as pieces of fruit for example.